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Chapman Taylor UK revenue down 12 per cent

London-based AJ100 practice Chapman Taylor saw UK revenue drop by more than 10 per cent last year, accounts filed over Christmas have revealed

The firm – whose controversial revamp of Coventry city centre (pictured) was approved in November – posted income of £10.7 million from domestic projects in the 12 months to 30 June 2018.

This was down from £12.2 million the previous year, a 12 per cent dip that contrasts with the firm’s minor growth of turnover in both the rest of Europe and the wider world.

UK performance dragged the group’s global revenue down by 1.5 per cent to £35.3 million while overall pre-tax profit dropped 13 per cent to £2.6 million.

The average number of architects employed by the group rose by three to 308, although staff costs dipped very slightly to £16.3 million.

A statement in the results document filed to Companies House said: ‘The past year has seen another strong and steady performance for the Chapman Taylor group. Key growth markets have been China and south-east Asia where we expect to see strong growth in the coming financial year, while other markets will continue to grow steadily.’

It added: ‘We continue to strengthen our team and we have an ongoing retention and recruitment process to attract and retain the best people in our industry.’

Coventry City Council’s planning committee gave the go-ahead in November to the practice’s Upper Precinct scheme, which was originally approved almost a year earlier before heritage protection was awarded to swathes of the district.

But two other schemes have failed to progress. In June it emerged that developer Hammerson had put on hold plans by Chapman Taylor and CallisonRTKL for the £1.4 billion redevelopment of Brent Cross shopping centre in north-west London (pictured below).

And in October, housing secretary James Brokenshire rejected Chapman Taylor’s plans to extend a shopping centre near Bristol.

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